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Securing Our Seas, Sustaining Our Future: New Book Redraws the Blueprint for Maritime Governance in Southeast Asia

How can nations fiercely defend their maritime borders while simultaneously protecting the coastal communities that rely on those very same waters for survival?

For littoral states in Southeast Asia, this is the defining dilemma of the century. As geopolitical friction intensifies across territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), the traditional, gunboat-centered approach to national security is colliding with the modern mandate of the “blue economy”—the sustainable, equitable management of marine resources.

A groundbreaking new volume published by World Scientific, titled Maritime Security and the Blue Economy in Southeast Asia, steps directly into this volatile space. Co-edited by Dr. Rosalie Arcala Hall (Executive Director of the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies) and Dr. Alexander C. Tan (University of Canterbury and the Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs), this 300-page book offers a critical, multi-scalar look at how state-centric military strategies can—and must—coexist with community-focused ecological preservation.

Beyond Gunboats: The Complex Maritime Nexus

The book pulls no punches in detailing the complex challenges facing Southeast Asia today. Littoral states are constantly balancing high-stakes territorial claims, piracy, and maritime terrorism with day-to-day governance managed by navies, coast guards, and civilian maritime bureaus.

However, as international attention shifts toward marine preservation, the authors argue that “security” cannot merely be measured by naval dominance. True security requires robust enforcement architectures to dismantle illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, curb marine pollution, and stamp out cross-border maritime crimes that threaten regional stability.

The core thesis of the book calls for an urgent redrawing of maritime governance. The editors contend that a future-proof maritime regime must encompass:

    • Environmentally Sustainable & Equitable Resource Use: Ensuring economic exploitation does not outpace ecological recovery.
    • Asset Development and Protection: Securing maritime infrastructure within inclusive, rule-based legal regimes.
    • Layered, Multiscalar Governance: Exploring the critical interplay between local policies, national defense, ASEAN mechanisms, and newer minilateral arrangements.
    • Bridging the Gap Between Actors: Analyzing the friction and cooperation between state forces, commercial fishing sectors, and civil society organizations advocating for marginalized coastal populations.

A Deep Dive into the Chapter Contents

Featuring a diverse lineup of specialized research, the book’s chapters dissect the specific security architectures and localized impacts across the region, including:

    • Science Diplomacy for a Blue Economy in Southeast Asia
    • The Roles of the Vietnam Coast Guard, Fisheries Surveillance Force and Maritime Militia in the Blue Economy
    • Civilianizing or Militarizing? Examining the Maritime Security Architecture of Indonesia
    • Waves of Disjoint: Maritime Security and the Fisheries Sector in the Philippines
    • Impacts of IUU Fishing on Women within Communities of Marginalized Fishers and Fish Workers
    • Who Goes There? Networked and Nested Governance in the Philippines’ Southern Maritime Frontier

About the Editors

    • Rosalie Arcala Hall is a Professor of Political Science at the University of the Philippines Visayas and the Executive Director of the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS). A Principal Non-Resident Fellow at the Institute of Indo-Pacific Affairs (NZ), her extensive research spans civil-military relations, security, and water governance.
    • Alexander C. Tan is a Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of the Canterbury and an Honorary Professor of the New Zealand Defence Force Command and Staff College. He serves as the Executive Director and Professorial Research Fellow at the Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs (NZ), writing extensively on political economy and Asia-Pacific international relations.

How to Secure Your Copy

Set for official publication in July 2026, this volume is an essential text for policymakers, defense analysts, marine biologists, and academic libraries seeking to understand the future of the Indo-Pacific maritime landscape.

    • Title: Maritime Security and the Blue Economy in Southeast Asia
    • Formats & Pricing: Hardback ($98 / £90) | Individual eBook ($78 / £70)
    • Direct Order / DOI: Get your copy directly via the official registry at https://doi.org/10.1142/14822.

To recommend this book to your institution’s repository or for bulk order enquiries, contact [email protected] (Asia) or [email protected] (USA).